Vitamin K, indispensable in the Blood coagulation and in the Bone Healthit also plays an important function in the brain and can protect from cognitive deteriorationaccording to a new study. Green leafy vegetables are the main source of philoquinonethe primary form of vitamin K dietary.
According to the research, conducted by the University of TUFTS, the United States, this vitamin can be especially useful for the hippocampusthe center of brain memory.
“There is more and more evidence than a Low level of vitamin K can influence cognitive deterioration related to age, ”said the authors of the study.
Posted in The Journal of Nutritionthe study pointed out that a Vitamin K deficiency It can produce inflammatory processes and limit the neuronal cell proliferation in the hippocampusa region of the brain related to the formation of new neurons and fundamental for functions such as Memory and learning.
The researchers stressed that most adults They do not consume the recommended amount of these foodswhich leads to a inadequate vitamin K intake, especially among older adults in the United States.
The researchers focused on the menaquinona-4a variant of vitamin K that is in large quantities in the brain tissueand observed lower levels of this molecule in the mice which had vitamin K deficit.
In the experiment, scientists fed for six months to 60 medium age mice with two types of diets: one normal and another with low levels of vitamin K. After that period, tests of behavior Designed to evaluate learning and memory in animals.
The results showed that Vitamin K deficiency mice They presented difficulties in recognizing previously seen objects, which indicated a Deterioration in memory recognition. In addition, these mice took longer to complete a tour in a maze of water, a classic test to measure spatial learning.
Subsequently, the researchers examined the brain fabric of the mice, with special focus on the hippocampusa key brain region for learning and memory. There, they observed that mice fed with a low diet in vitamin K had a Reduced neurogenesis, that is, generated less new neurons.
Neurogenesis in the hippocampus is a process associated with the maintenance of cognitive function and brain protection against damage. Its decrease was accompanied by a Increased cerebral inflammation In deficiency mice, a finding that is also related to the observed cognitive impairment.
“It is believed that neurogenesis plays a critical role in the learning and memoryand its deterioration could contribute directly to the cognitive impairment observed in the study, ”he said Tong Zhengmain author and research scientist at the Center for Research on Human Nutrition and Aging of TUFTS (HNRCA).
But the researchers said that It is not necessary to take vitamin k supplements. “People need lead a healthy diet”, Said the teacher Sarah Boothmain author of the study and director of the HNRCA. “You need to eat vegetables.”
According to him National Institute of Health of the United Statesvitamin K is naturally present in many foods. To obtain the recommended amounts of vitamin K, you have to consume varied foods, such as the following:
- Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, curly (or Berza), broccoli and lettuce
- Vegetable oils
- Some fruits Like blue blueberries and figs
- Meat, cheese, eggs and soybeans
